Fat choy

For the villages in Romania, see Făcăi (disambiguation).

Fat choy
"Nostoc flagelliforme" under a microscope
Nostoc flagelliforme under a microscope
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Cyanobacteria
Class: Cyanophyceae
Order: Nostocales
Family: Nostocaceae
Genus: Nostoc
Species:
N. flagelliforme
Binomial name
Nostoc flagelliforme
Synonyms[1]
Fat choy
Traditional Chinese髮菜
Simplified Chinese发菜
Literal meaning"hair vegetable"
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinfàcài
IPA[fâ.tsʰâɪ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanizationfaat choi
Jyutpingfaat3 coi3
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese頭毛菜
Transcriptions
Southern Min
Hokkien POJthâu-mn̂g-chhài

Fat choy (traditional Chinese: 髮菜; simplified Chinese: 发菜; pinyin: fàcài; Jyutping: faat³ coi³; Nostoc flagelliforme) is a terrestrial cyanobacterium (a type of photosynthetic bacteria) that is used as a vegetable in Chinese cuisine. When dried, the product has the appearance of black hair. For that reason, its name in Chinese means "hair vegetable". When soaked, fat choy has a soft texture which is like very fine vermicelli.

Production

Fat choy grows on the ground in the Gobi Desert and the Qinghai Plateau. Over-harvesting on the Mongolian steppes has furthered erosion and desertification in those areas. The Chinese government has limited its harvesting, which has caused its price to increase.[2]

Commercially available fat choy has been found to be adulterated with strands of a non-cellular starchy material, with other additives and dyes.[2][3] Real fat choy is dark green in color, while the counterfeit fat choy appears black.[2]

Use

China

Its name in Cantonese sound the same as a Cantonese phrase meaning "struck it rich" (though the second syllable, coi, has a different tone) -- this is found, for example, in the Cantonese saying, "Gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4" (恭喜發財, meaning "wishing you prosperity"), often proclaimed during Chinese New Year. Therefore, it is a popular ingredient for the Chinese New Year, like in the reunion dinner. It is enjoyed as an alternative to cellophane noodles.[citation needed] It is mostly used in Cantonese cuisine and Buddhist cuisine. It is sometimes used as a hot pot ingredient.

Due to its high price, fat choy is considered a luxury food, and only used in limited occasions. It is not eaten as a staple.[4]

Vietnam

Fat choy is also used in Vietnamese cuisine. It is called tóc tiên or tóc thiêng (literally "angel's hair") in Vietnamese.

Health effects

N. flagelliforme has no nutritional value,[dubious – discuss] and also contains beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), a toxic amino acid that could affect the normal functions of nerve cells and is linked to degenerative diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and dementia.[5] Not all real fat choy samples contains BMAA according to a 2009 study, with the maximum concentration being 658.5 ng/g. Imitation fat choy does not contain BMAA.[4]

Across a 28-day duration, laboratory rats fed N. flagelliforme and the control group did not exhibit significant differences in any toxicological parameters.[6]

The algae and its extracts reduce the inflammatory action of white blood cells, specifically macrophages and splenocytes, in vitro.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b Calvo-Pérez, Juan Diego; Molinari-Novoa, Eduardo A.; Guiry, Michael D. (23 March 2016). "Validation of Nostoc flagelliforme (Nostocaceae, Cyanobacteria)" (PDF). Notulae Algarum (2): 1–2. ISSN 2009-8987. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "The standard.com.hk". Archived from the original on November 22, 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  3. ^ "Waynesword". Archived from the original on 2004-10-10. Retrieved 2004-11-07.
  4. ^ a b Roney, BR; Renhui, L; Banack, SA; Murch, S; Honegger, R; Cox, PA (2009). "Consumption of fa cai Nostoc soup: a potential for BMAA exposure from Nostoc cyanobacteria in China?". Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. 10 (Suppl 2): 44–9. doi:10.3109/17482960903273031. PMID 19929731. S2CID 2893117.
  5. ^ The standard.com.hk. Mimi Lau, January 30, 2007, Ban sought on Lunar delicacy Archived November 22, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Takenaka 1998.
  7. ^ Ku, Lee (2013). "Edible blue-green algae reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by inhibiting NF-κB pathway in macrophages and splenocytes". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects. 1830 (4): 2981–2988. doi:10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.01.018. PMC 3594481. PMID 23357040.